Bringing the World to your Kitchen

All posts filed under: Bolivia

This is meal #21/195 as we cook and eat our way around the world. Our Bolivian Global Table used in-season produce and simple, home-style cooking. My biggest challenge this week was getting what I needed from the store. I went 4 times and still had to borrow a half cup of frozen peas from my neighbor and friend. Thankfully she had some or I’d have to load Ava back into the car for yet another trip to the store. I don’t know for sure, but I’m willing to bet it was a full moon because on my walk home the bag of peas split open and I lost about half them. Thankfully, there were still enough for the recipe. Despite the shopping and cooking crazies, I eventually got the meal together. My taste buds were glad. My stomach was even gladder. Bolivian Avocado & Tomato Salad [Recipe] What I like most about this dish Tender, buttery avocado is one of my all-time favorites; fill one with juicy tomatoes and I don’t stand a chance. This …

Serves 4 Bolivian peanut soup is a delightful way to serve up good old fashioned meat and potatoes. Cook this soup gentle and slow. If you do, the beef will be moist and tender and the potatoes will bursting with the flavor of their juices. The most unusual part of this soup is biting into the occasional crunchy peanut. Serve with Bolivian Hot Sauce. Ingredients: olive oil (or peanut oil) 1 large onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin 1 lb beef, cubed 1 quart stock (beef, or chicken, depending on the meat you chose – even water works in a pinch) 4 medium potatoes 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts 1/4 cup white rice 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 cup milk parsley, to taste salt pepper Method: 1. Add some oil to a large pot and heat over medium. Cook onion and garlic with oregano and cumin. When onions are softened, add beef, stock, potato, and peanuts. Simmer gently until potatoes are just tender. I cooked this soup on super low …

Serves 6-8 Leche Asada is super easy and quick to put together. This recipe fills 6-8 small ramekins or one large (1 1/2 quart) for family-style eating. You may want to set the custard in a water bath to make the cooking process more gentle. This will produce a very creamy, flan-like texture. Even without this step, this makes a great – dare I say – weeknight dessert. Ingredients: 6 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 2 cups milk Method: Preheat oven to 350F Crack 6 eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and milk. Whisk to combine. Strain all the icky egg stuff out. Much better! Now, pour into individual ramekins or one 1 1/2 quart ramekin. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the small ramekins or for 1 hour in the large. (Setting them in a water bath will make them creamier). Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon if desired… and serve chilled, with a warm smile. Baked Milk Custard | Leche Asada Votes: 2 Rating: 1 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Leche Asada is super easy …

Serves 4 Even my husband ate this vegan salad up. Perhaps because it was a lot like a fresh salsa in an avocado bowl, instead of the “rabbit food” salad he is used to. Serve slightly chilled (cold takes away from the flavors – you won’t be able to taste the buttery avocado as well.) Make the tomato mixture several hours ahead if you want. Ingredients: 2 avocados, halved and pitted minced red onion, to taste 2 small tomatoes 2 sprigs fresh parsley, minced 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 tsp vinegar salt pepper Method: 1. Mince up your onion – I chose this red darling because she’s sweet. White onion is also popular in the salsa-like salad. 2. Tomatoes are in season so get you some! Can’t you hear them? They’re singing “Eat me!” 3. Fresh parsley brings this simple appetizer alive. I used some from my garden. After I took this picture I realized I wanted more but it was over 100 degrees in my garden and I refused to go back outside. I …

Makes 1 serving Kids and adults will love this fun side dish. Even after frying, Queso Blanco holds its shape; if you would prefer the cheese to melt down the sides of the corn try mozarella. This dish was inspired by the Bolivian Plato Paceño. Ingredients: 1 ear of corn 1 slice of queso blanco Method: 1. Set a pot of water to boil and cook husked corn until done. 2. Meanwhile, fry cheese in a skillet over medium heat until both sides are golden brown (or darker, depending on your preferences) Serve cheese with corn immediately. I like how this cheese looks like a giant tab of butter. I kind of wish it was. Corn on the cob with fried cheese Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Kids and adults will love this fun side dish. Even after frying, Queso Blanco holds its shape; if you would prefer the cheese to melt down the sides of the corn try mozarella. This dish was inspired by the Bolivian Plato Paceño. CourseSides & …

The highs and lows of Bolivian cuisine In the highlands the people enjoy potato, corn, cheese, and spicy hot food. In the lowlands, they navigate towards bananas, maize, rice, and cassava. Mama Spud… The domestic potato, known to the Incans as Mama Jatha (“Mother of Growth”), was first cultivated high in the Andes mountains near Lake Titicaca about 7,000 years ago. Today this area straddles Bolivia and Peru. It’s Potato O’clock! The ancient Inca used the potato to measure time. Boy: How long does it take to walk to the post office? Girl: 1/2 as long as boiling a potato. Boy: Great! I’ll be there in no time 🙂 Homemade beverages If you see a white flag outside a home in Bolivia, its beckoning wave means there is chicha for sale. Chica is a South American home brew that can be made from a number of ingredients, but fermented cassava and maize are most common in Bolivia. The flavor has been compared to hard cider, although this varies greatly depending on the main ingredient and brewing process. Flatter than a …

If you want to eat like a Bolivian, I highly recommend you try Llajua. Bolivians happily splash this liquid fire over their meals as casually as Americans use ketchup – perhaps even more profusely. The stuff goes on everything – from soup to grilled meat, boiled vegetables, savory pies (like the Salteña), and more. The heat originates from the locato pepper, rated between 30k and 100k on the Scoville Unit. From what I gather, the locoto is like a mild habanero. Ha. Mild. Habenero. What an oxymoron. If I know one thing, I know I can’t handle any kind of habenero with grace, mild or not. In fact, I about went into apocalyptic shock during the Angolan Global Table, when I threw part of a habenero down the garbage disposal and ran it. Yes, I meant apocalyptic. Death fumes shot right up into my eyes, nose, and throat, making even my toenails sweat. It was ugly. To spare myself (and you) the misery, I substituted Serrano chilies which rate below 25k Scoville Units. And, boy howdy. Good …

This is going to be a good week. We’re going to eat Bolivian and … are you ready for it??? … the evil kidney stone is gone!!! I’ll spare you the picture Keith put on his Facebook wall, not because it isn’t cool – it is – but mostly because the gross factor is 1 million – you would all run away and never come back. The simple fact that he shared his 5 mm monster with the world just goes to show he’s feeling better. Unfortunately, no sooner had I gotten my spunky husband back than he had to return to work. Bummer. I was getting used to seeing his pretty face all day. He’s a wonderful man and I thank him for all he does for our family. And, with that, I promise to never talk about kidney stones again. Unless he gets another one. Or I do. Ugg, my stomach just turned thinking about it. Without further ado, our Bolivian menu: Bolivian Avocado & Tomato Salad [Recipe] Fresh avocado halves filled with …

But let’s get back to the potato. According to Jose Sanchez, author of My Mother’s Bolivian Kitchen, there are over 1,200 kinds of Bolivian potatoes. With so many varieties, Bolivians are the number one consumer of potatoes in the world; they eat them about as many ways and in as many dishes as the Bahamians eat conch. For starters, they boil, bake, steam, fry, and freeze dry them. They like potatoes so much that they even put a few different ones together in a dish. For example, stews often include boiled and freeze-dried potatoes. Freeze-dried potatoes are called Chuno. Chuno takes at least five days of work to make and involves several freeze-thaw cycles and stomping the potatoes with clean, bare feet. The end product looks a lot like a rock and vaguely like a little like a shrunken head. I’ve read the shelf life is anywhere from 10 years to forever. Awesome! Originally part of the Inca empire, many Bolivian recipes are influenced by the indigenous Indian culture as well as the Spanish. Dried …